Paul Skenes Topps Rookie Card Hunt pits auction house against pirates

The hottest bidding war in baseball right now isn’t about Juan Soto, it’s about a baseball card.

On November 10, Topps announced the release of a unique Paul Skenes rookie debut autographed card featuring a patch he wore during his first professional game. The Pittsburgh Pirates phenomenon card is available in one package with 2024 Topps Chrome Updates.

But on Friday morning, the Pirates themselves shocked the baseball world with a Willy Wonka-esque offer to the lucky person who draws the card.

In a detailed tweet, the Pirates said that in exchange for the item, they would provide two season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years, a 30-person softball game at PNC Park (the home of the Pirates), where players will be coached. by team alumni and a unique spring training package.

Spring training will include a meet-and-greet with Skenes, two of his autographed jerseys, a chance to take batting practice and warmups with the team and other unique experiences at LECOM Park, the Pirates’ spring home. training stadium in Bradenton, Florida.

But Ken Goldin, the founder of collectibles company Goldin Auctions, upped the ante with an alternative cash offer. In his quoted tweet from the Pirates post, he said: “Before anyone accepts this or any deal, please email me directly. @GoldinCo will sell the card for you, put your kids through college and you can use the leftover money to buy entry to a meet and greet with Skenes if you want….”

With a nod to Shohei Ohtani, the star of Netflix King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch said a deal with his company paid off handsomely for the person who ultimately got the 50/50 home run ball hit by the Los Angeles Dodgers star. “Just ask the last guy who turned down an offer from an MLB team how that worked out for him (Shohei 50 HR ball).”

On October 23, the historic ball sold for $4.4 million after a late bidding rally brought the nearly month-long auction to its final day after midnight. The buyer was a Taiwanese investment company, UC Capital Ltd., which plans to put the ball on public display for fans to see.

As if those bids weren’t enough, the ticket holder was also able to join Skenes’ girlfriend, social media star and LSU gymnast Olivia “Livvy” Dunne in her suite at PNC Park.

And if the ticket owner is kind enough to let him “take a look at it,” Seth Meyers, late night talk show host and avowed Pirates fan, offers four VIP tickets for checkout. Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Skenes, who was drafted No. 1 overall out of LSU by the Pirates in 2023, had one of the best rookie campaigns in recent memory. The 22-year-old right-hander was named an NL Cy Young finalist, NL Rookie of the Year finalist, an All-MLB First Team selection and the starting pitcher for the NL at this summer’s All-Star Game. In 23 starts, Skenes posted an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA, 170 strikeouts and a 0.95 WHIP.